(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an automated steering wheel leveling system and method. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automated steering wheel leveling system and method, which is configured to adjust the zero-point of a steering wheel with a certain level of particularity.
(b) Background Art
In general, when operations are performed using a toe, a camber, and so forth in a wheel alignment process of a vehicle, a steering wheel leveling apparatus is needed to exactly mount a steering wheel as a pre-process.
If the wheel alignment process is completed in a state where the angle of the steering wheel is not set to 0 degree, a leaning of a vehicle may occur due to a wheel offset defect.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a steering wheel leveling apparatus which has been used in related art. The steering wheel leveling apparatus, shown in FIG. 1, includes a main body 1 having a monitor for zero-point calibration of the steering wheel, a glass adherence portion 2 to which a rubber packing withdrawn from the inside of the main body 1 adheres, and a supporting stand 3 having a supporting portion 5 at the end portion thereof. Specifically, the main body 1 fixed on the steering wheel using the supporting portion 5. The steering wheel leveling apparatus, shown FIG. 1 also has operation buttons 4 on the upper portion of the main body 1 to operate the glass adherence portion 2.
Operationally, the end portions of the supporting stand 3 are put on two places of the steering wheel, and the rubber packing of the glass adherence portion 2 is adhered to the front window glass of a vehicle to which the steering wheel is being installed. In doing so, the steering wheel leveling apparatus is supported by the supporting stand 3 and the glass adherence portion 2 at three points respectively.
The steering wheel leveling apparatus of Fig. then operates a zero-point calibration method which is illustrated in FIG. 2, and described below.
First, the end portion of a supporting stand 3 is placed on a steering wheel 10, as mentioned above. Then an operation button on the main body 1 is pushed to adhere to a rubber packing 6 of a glass adherence portion 2 to a front glass 7 of a vehicle. Accordingly, the steering wheel leveling apparatus is fixed on the steering wheel 10 and the front glass 7.
Next, an operator grips and finely moves the rubber packing 6 of the glass adherence portion 2 by using his hand to align the center of steering wheel 10 with the center of the vehicle through the zero-point setting.
For example, when the rubber packing 6 is turned in the right direction from the center of the vehicle, a plus digital value is displayed on a monitor 8 of a main body 1. On the other hand, when the rubber packing 6 is turned in the left direction of the center of the vehicle, a minus digital value is display on the monitor 8 of the main body 1. In this case, the operator finely adjust the rubber packing 6 while looking at the monitor 8 with the naked eye, and stops the rubber packing 6 to finish the zero-point calibration when the value displayed on the monitor 8 becomes zero, thereafter, completing the wheel alignment process.
One noted disadvantage of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, however, is that whenever the rubber packing 6 adheres to the glass, the fixed position of the rubber packing 6 may vertically change according to the operators as described in FIG. 3. Thus, the measured value of the steering wheel leveling apparatus may change according to the fixed position of the rubber packing 6, but the zero-point of the steering wheel 10 may often be different.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.